WE’LL CRACK THE WINDOW
Roy promises no more panic buys
vLondon Stadium: 3pm ROY HODGSON admitted Crystal Palace got it wrong last January – and insists there will be no panic in next month’s transfer window.
The Eagles boss wants to freshen up his squad, but he maintains there is no need for drastic action despite Palace sitting just three points above the drop zone ahead of today’s trip to West Ham. He knows from last year’s experience, the winter sales are not guaranteed to deliver instant improvement.
Then Palace shelled out £9million on Midtjylland’s Norway striker Alexander Sorloth who has yet to notch his first Premier League goal, while
Polish defender
Jaroslaw Jach and Swedish midfielder Erdal Rakip left in the summer without making a first team appearance.
Hodgson, though, is adamant Palace are better prepared this time around. He said: “I am relaxed, it is certainly not like last season. At that time things were going so badly and everyone was telling me, ‘Wait until the January transfer window and all will be fine’.
“Certainly we didn’t succeed last MANUEL PELLEGRINI says it would take “too long” to explain all the reasons why Lucas Perez does not start for West Ham.
The £4million summer signing from Arsenal (right) came off the bench in January and if we do anything this time, it will be better and more thought out. I had only been here a few months, and there is always an element of panic in January.
“But if the right player comes along, and we can afford him, I hope we can bring them in.” A return of just 11 goals from 15 league games highlights where Palace need to improve. But Hodgson maintains the expected return of Christian Benteke and Connor Wickham from longterm injuries will give him stronger forward options next month.
Benteke is not yet back in full training after suffering a knee problem in September, while Wickham is battling to recover match fitness more than two years after a serious knee injury. Hodgson added: “I will accept the criticism that we haven’t been as good at converting some of the chances we have created.
“But I don’t believe that we lack attacking quality with Wickham coming back to fitness, with Jordan Ayew playing well, with Sorloth getting better all the time, and with Benteke not that far away.”
Omidweek to score twice in the 3-1 win over Cardiff. With first-choice striker Marko Arnautovic out for a month, the Spaniard may make his first league start for the Hammers. But Pellegrini reckons Perez still needs L-plates – even though he is 30 and has been in England since 2016.
The Chilean said: “What does he need to learn?
“We cannot talk about that, it is too long. But you must be able to hear what a manager is telling you – and if you don’t you are not able to play.”